Fifth-wheel connection.



Y v PATENTED NOV. 17-, 1903. L. w. MOWERY &T. B. BISHOP.

FIFTH. WHEEL CONNECTION.

"APRLIOATION FILED JUNE 20, 1903.-

WITNESSES.-

PATENTED NOV; 17,1903. ,L;-IW.1MOWBRY&T.RBIS PF EIFTH. WHEEL CONNECTION. I APPLICATION FILED mm: 20, 190;.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET}.

1Y0 MODEL.

' INVENTORL? UNITED STATES Patented November 17, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS W. MOWERY AND'Tl-IEOPHILUS E. BISHOP, OF LIMA, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE ANCIIOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF

LIMA, OHIO.

FIFTH-WHEEL CONNECTION.

SPECIFICATION fo1."ming' part of Letters Patent No. 744,593, dated November 17, 1903. Application filed June 2-0, 1903. Serial No. 162.422. lilo model.

of Allen and State of Ohio, have invented cer- I 'tain new and useful Improvements in Fifth- VVheel Connections, of which the following is a specification.

This invention appertaius to vehicle running-gear and belongs more particularly to the fifth-wheel connection, the purpose being to provide for independent rocking movement of the front axle and vehicle-body, so as to relieve the pivotal connection of abnormal strain.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result reference is to be had to the following description and draw-. ings hereto attached,

' \Vhile the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front viewof the connection between the front axle and the lower member of the front spring. Fig. 2 is a vertical central longitudinal section thereof on the line XX of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on. the line Y Y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the chair for the front spring having formed therewith the upper perch-- iron and the cup. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the saddle. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of the axle-clip.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

The front axle is indicated at 1, perch at 2,

' the front spring at 3, and the perch-irons at 4 end portions thickened and provided with transverse seats 9 to receive the closed ends of the clips 7, so as to prevent casual displacement thereof after the'parts have been properly assembled and made secure by screwing home the clamp-nuts on the threaded ends of v the legs or members of the clips 7. The cup 10 is formed with the chair 6 and is formed gral structure and obviating the formation of any joints.

The axle-clip 13 is provided upon its topside, intermediate of its ends, with rockerbearing 14 and comprises a series of three clip members, the end clip members 15 having their lower portions threaded to receive the usual yokes or glands and the clamp-nuts and the intermediate clip members 16 being flat elements projecting below the axle and transversely apertured, as shown at 17, to receive the bolt 18, by means of which the perch-block 19 and side members of the saddle 20 are connected. The construction of the axle-clip is such as to obtain an extended bearing upon the axle, this being necessary to prevent slipping and to sustain the strain imposed thereon by reason of the loose connection between said clip and the saddle 20.

The saddle 20 is provided at its upper end 'with a cone 21 and an annular shoulder 22 at the base of the cone, the latter snugly fitting the conical depression 1.1 and the shoulder the clip members 16 to provide a passage for the connecting-bolt 18. Thewall at the inner end of the space formed between the pendent portions 23 is curved. longitudinally, as shown at 25 in Fig. 2, to conform to the longitudinal curvature of the rocker-bearing 14, so as to provide a snug fit between the parts and 14:, the joint between which is struck on the are of a circle having the bolt 18 or axis of the saddle for its center.

The perch-block 19 is fitted between the lower ends of the members 1 6 of the axle-clip, and its top side is longitudinally curved, as

' shown at 26, to provide for a rocking movement of the axle or saddle relatively thereto. The lower ends of the clip members 16 are likewise curved, so as not to interfere with the rocking movements of the parts 13 and 20. The perch-block is formed with lateral extensions 27, which underlap the ends of the clip members 16 and bear against the inner sides of the pendent members of the saddle, so as to prevent binding of the same against the sides of the axle-clip when tightening bolt 18. A threaded stem 28 is pendent from the perch-block l9 and. passes through an eye in the front end of the perchiron 5 and receives the clamp-nut 29, by means of which the perch-iron 5 is clamped to the perch-block 1 9.

When the parts are properly assembled, the spring-chair 6 is connected to the saddle 20 by the king-bolt 30, which passes through vertically-alined openings of the parts 21 and 6 of said saddle and chair and through openings in the spring 3 and clamp-plate 8.

The head of the king-bolt is countersunk in the lower end of the cone 21, and its upper end receives the clamp-nut.

A running-gear having the front axle connected to the fore part of the vehicle-body in substantially the manner herein stated is materially relieved of the strain incident to the swaying of the Vehicle-body or the rocking of the front axle when passing over rough roads, it being understood that the axle is permitted to rock independent of the vehiclebody and the latter to sway from side to side independently of the axle. Hence the motion is compensated for and neutralized to a certain extent by the rocking and pivotal c011- nection of the saddle with the axle-clip.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. Invehiclerunning-gear,the combination of the axle, the body-spring, a chair for said spring, an axle-clip having portions embracing opposite sides of the axle and extended therebelow, a saddle pivotally connected to the aforesaid chair and having pendent portions embracing the axle-clip, a perch-block fitted between the said pendent portions of the axle-clip and having lateral extensions to underlap the same and come between the pendent portions of the saddle, and a connecting-bolt passed through coincident openings formed in the perch-block and pendent portions of the sad dle and axle-cli p,substanti ally as described.

2. In vehicle running-gear,the combination of the chair for the body support provided with a cup, a saddle having avertical extension snugly fitted within said cup, a kingbolt connection between the saddle and chair, an axle-clip having pendent portions, and a rocker-bearing for pivotally supporting the saddle, a perch-block located between the lower ends of the pendent portions of the axle-clip and having side extensions to underlap said pendent portions and to come between the pendent members of the saddle, a fastening connecting the perch-block, saddle and axle-clip, a perch-iron connected to the perch-block, and an upper perch-iron projected from the aforesaid chair, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS w. MowERY. 1,. s.] THEOPHILUS E. msnor. [L. 1

lVitnesses:

J. J. lVEADoeK, CARRIE M. IIUTCI-IISON. 

